


I’ve Got No Strings

by annemarie213



Category: One Piece
Genre: Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Major Illness, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Not Beta Read, Other, Rating May Change, Romantic Fluff, Slow Burn, Starts before Dressrosa Arc and then follows into the arc, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, cuz i hate that shit, doffy not actually being a manipulative asshole for once, doffys fam not knowing how to handle a new addition to the family, reader has an incurable disease
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-10
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2020-08-14 07:36:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20188657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annemarie213/pseuds/annemarie213
Summary: After many years of hard work, the Marine had finally given you the title of Vice Admiral. Your life seemed perfect, but it all changed, when you learned of your limited lifespan. Battling against an incurable disease, which not even Dr. Vegapunk could defeat, you resign from the Marine and decide to live out your last few months in peace on your home island. One of the Schichibukias however, has other plans for you.





	1. Beginning of The End

The room was quiet. The white walls, white sheets, white clothing and the white paper in your hands stung your eyes. The marine nurse shifted uneasily, a drop of nervous sweat sliding down her face, as she waited for your reaction.

‘’I’m so sorry, Vice Admiral, but…-‘’

‘’Don’t. Please don’t.’’ you cut her off. Her pity only made you feel worse, if it was even possible to feel worse at this point. Six months, it said on the paper. That’s how long your body would last - if you were lucky. Dr. Vegapunk expressed his regret at your unavoidable end in his letter, but it did nothing to make you feel better. If Dr. Vegapunk had admitted not being able to cure your disease, there was nothing that could stop it.

‘’Um, if you are feeling well enough, there are a couple of visitors outside, who are waiting to talk to you. Would you like to see them, or should I send them away?’’ the nurse asked timidly, still wary of any potential emotional outbursts from you. She wouldn’t get any. You were far too tired to act out, instead, you told her to invite the visitors in. Being alone was preferred, but you would have to talk with them sooner or later, so it would be better to get it over with, and then have some time for yourself.

‘’The first visitor you have is Vice Admiral Tsuru. I’ll go fetch her now.’’ And with that, she left the room. The paper in your hands was slightly wrinkled, as you had been fumbling with it for a while now. You wanted to tear it apart. The paper with your fate written on it.

‘’It hurts me to hear that, kid.’’ The older woman sighed heavily. ‘’There’s really nothing I can say to make you feel better, huh? To think that something like this would happen now, when you’ve finally managed to get so far. The others joked that you were probably just nervous, when you collapsed on your way to your first meeting as a Vice Admiral. No one could have imagined something like this. I’m truly sorry to hear it.’’ Her wrinkled face showed her remorse.

‘’Yeah, this sucks for me. Even though I was under the wing of someone like you, it still took me this long to get this position. But there’s nothing to be done. It is what it is.’’ You finally put the paper away and focused on Tsuru instead. She wasn’t looking at you, but staring at the floor in silence, trying to figure out what to say.

‘’I’m going to resign.’’ You muttered, ‘’I’d rather spend my last few months in peace at my home, instead of running around after pirates. Who knows if I would even be of any good when my disease starts getting worse.’’

Tsuru straightened her back, and stood from the dingy metal chair at the side of your hospital bed, ‘’I understand. If you’d like, I will tell the headquarters about your resignation. I don’t think you should spend any time on travelling all that way, when you could spend your time on something better.’’

‘’I’d like that, thanks.’’ You replied, with a small smile. Tsuru might have been a though trainer and leader back when you were her subordinate, but she truly was one of the nicest people in the marine. She was never very forthcoming with her emotions, and you were left wondering just how she felt about this situation, when she decided to say goodbye.

When Tsuru had left, the nurse entered the room again.

‘’The next few visitors are people who claim to be your friends. They’re from your home island apparently. Would you like to see them?’’

‘’Yeah, just send them in. They’re all I’ve got left now. We have to discuss what to do next.’’

When the door opened again, a small swarm of people came to your bedside, all your old neighbors expressing their great concern, and their joy at seeing you in good condition after your examination with Dr. Vegapunk. None of them knew the whole truth.

Whether telling them or not was the right thing to do, you didn’t know.

-

Your home was peaceful, but full of life. It was a relatively small island but with a rather large population, which meant that people were everywhere. It was one of those things that you had loved about the island, but now, you couldn’t help the nagging feeling of envy, when you watched the children of the island weave between the crowds, playing tag with each other. They had their whole life ahead of them, so they could enjoy everything at their own pace, unlike you. The townspeople greeted you on your way through the town. Since the island was so small, a lot of people knew each other, but since you became a marine-officer, you had gotten to know even more, as many made sure to thank you for your services when they spotted you on visits home. So when you returned home, a large crowd was there to welcome you back, greeting you joyfully, curious as to why you resigned, but never pushing it, wishing to make you feel welcomed.

Meanwhile, far, far away from your island, there was another island, by the name of Dressrosa. A beautiful kingdom with beautiful scenery, and beautiful people. It’s people lived in wealth, and its residents would surely describe themselves as the ‘happiest people in the world’, and if you looked away from high crime rates stemming from jealous women, you would most likely believe them. A happy country, with a king, who was dearly loved by his people. The king, also known as the schichibukai Doflamingo, stayed in the castle on the top of The King’s Plateau. In the castle, at that exact moment, a small figure was running around, searching for someone.

‘’YOUNG MASTER?!’’ a voice was heard through the building. ‘’YOUNG MAAASTER?!’’ it repeated.

‘’Young master?’’ the voice rang out once again, as the small figure peeked out behind the door, looking into a large room, which was void, expect for the table near the open window, on which there laid a newspaper, the pages fluttering in the wind, sporting the headline; **‘’Vice Admiral (y/n) resigns just days after promotion.’’**


	2. Visit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Im already writing another long fanfic and i start a new one
> 
> this is bad planning at its finest

‘’It’s very simple, really.’’ One calm voice spoke, barely heard through the panicked yelling filling the room. ‘’I want to know why they resigned. All you have to do is tell me, and I’ll be on my way.’’ He continued with a wide grin stretched across his face.

‘’We’ve already told you, it’s classified information, Doflamingo!’’ One of the marine officers yelled in panic, his body moving without his permission, the gun is his hands now pointed at his colleague, who too had been forced into a battle-ready position against his will, his hands trembling around the sword.

‘’Fufufufu, classified? For who? As far as I know, I’m one the Marine’s side, and as such, I deserve to know what’s going on, don’t you agree?’’ His fingers moved, forcing the officer to place his finger on the trigger of the gun.

‘’What is going on here?’’ Came a strong voice. Vice admiral Tsuru stood in the doorway, taking in the chaotic scene before her, the officers crying out for her, ‘’Vice Admiral Tsuru! Make him stop, please!’’

She glanced at the grinning man, shaking her head while letting out a tired sigh. ‘’Won’t you be a good kid and let the officers go? I’ll listen to whatever you have to say.’’

As soon as the invisible bonds had disappeared, the officers scampered out the door, yelling their thanks to Tsuru on the way. The tall schichibukai had sat down on the top of the table in the middle of the room, fiddling with a newspaper that Tsuru had left there herself earlier this morning. It was the reason why she had come back to this room in the first place. Stumbling upon a schichibukai in marine headquarters, when there had been no call for a meeting, was totally unprecedented. Nevertheless, she had a hunch as to why he was here, one that involved the front page of said newspaper.

‘’That former subordinate of yours,’’ the pink-clad man started, ‘’They’ve come a long way, haven’t they? After several years of hard work they’ve finally had their efforts acknowledged.’’ His index finger was tapping against the picture of your face, as he looked down on it. ‘’But then,’’ he abruptly turned to face the older woman, ‘’They suddenly resign, with no explanation provided as to why. Now, we both know that this particular person would never _just_ resign, especially after this well-deserved promotion, so I figured there was some other reason. Am I wrong?’’

Had she been younger and less experienced, she would easily have bowed under the threatening undertones of his question, but Tsuru had known this man for a long time now, having spent much of her career chasing him, before he joined forces with the Marine. Where others saw a dominant and powerful pirate, she saw a spoiled kid, who was too used to getting what he wanted. As long as she provided him with something satisfactory, he would leave without making a big fuss.

‘’(Y/n). Yes, they did not resign because they wanted to.’’ She turned to close the door behind her, making sure it was locked, before she continued. She was not supposed to tell anyone, therefore she had to make sure that no one heard her do it. ‘’It was decided that the reason for their resignation would be kept secret, in order to ensure their safety. The thing is, it was recently discovered that they suffer from a deadly disease, which we have no cure for. Dr. Vegapunk was asked to look at it, but even he couldn’t do anything. A high-ranking marine officer with a disease, which weakens them, would surely attract a lot of attention from former enemies or other rowdy pirates.’’ She strolled to the open window, her back turned to the silent schichibukai. ‘’They’ve returned to their home, to live in peace for the last few months they have left.’’

‘’Months…?’’ she heard a mutter, before something blew by her, and out of the open window.

Looking out the window, she could see the large figure of Doflamingo disappearing into the sky. Most would consider it an unwise move to let him go to them in their vulnerable state, she thought, as she watched the figure become smaller and smaller, as Doflamingo flew through the sky, off to see a certain someone. But she had figured it all out a long time ago.

They would be alright.

-

It had been a long time, since you last had spent this long at home. The life of a marine officer was busy, and it only got worse once you began ascending the ranks. Paperwork, rough days on the sea and pirates often kept you up, and your first night on the island was one of the best nights you had had in a long while, with nothing to disturb your sleep.

The first morning however, was… weird. You almost felt bad, letting yourself stay in bed for 20 minutes longer than you had planned. Punctuality was expected in the Marine, and after being a marine officer for several years, you had developed an internal clock, which prevented you from sleeping past the sunrise. When the feeling of discomfort became too strong, you hung your blanket on your shoulders, and trudged through your house, out the back door, to the side of the cliff your small house rested upon. The sky was a mix of blue, orange and red, the colors reflecting in the grand ocean that stretched before you, as calm winds blew over the sea to the island. The longing for the sea was already creeping up on you, but it would have to wait. Every second spent worrying, was a second wasted, and you didn’t have much time to waste. Today, you would re-insert yourself into the daily life of the island, with the help of your friendly neighbors. Osla, an old woman, whom you had known since childhood, was the first and only person outside of the marine to know about your condition. Her weary old eyes had been filled with such a sorrow, when you had told her the truth, and it felt weird that you didn’t share the emotion. It seemed as if your brain hadn’t really understood the situation, rendering you in an emotionless state, like a calm ocean with the smallest waves of unease making themselves present every once in a while, before disappearing again, leaving no trace behind.

When you had finally pulled yourself together, and gotten out the front door, it only took a few minutes to reach Osla’s house. Osla was already outside, tending to her garden, her short curly gray hair flowing freely in the wind, her shaky yet strong hands pulling weeds from the ground. Steeling your nerves, you made your way over to her, your fingers trying to smoothen down your civilian clothes, feeling out of place without your marine uniform.

‘’Ready to spend time with your old neighbor, dearie?’’ Osla wiped her hands in the front of her dirty dress, as her brown wrinkly face showed a kind smile. ‘’It’s certainly been a long time since I’ve seen you in person. You’ve been so busy with your career that you’ve never had time to visit us at all. If it hadn’t been for Lucas and Mia, termites would probably have devoured your house long ago.’’ She let out a groan, as she stretched her back, her joints cracking in protest.

‘’Yeah, I’ve been… busy. I got so caught up that I didn’t even think about visiting, to be honest.’’ You admitted embarrassed. To be really honest, you actually _had_ thought about it, but had decided not to. In all your time away from your home island, you had never missed it.

‘’Well, you’re here now, and that’s what matters. I’ve already made a plan for the day, so just let me change my dress and we’ll be ready to go. Oh, I’ve got so much to tell you, you’ll barely have any time to tell me anything about your job.’’

And she did. She never once stopped talking, while you were taking your tour around the island, greeting old acquaintances and seeing what had changed in the years you had been gone. Everyone you met wanted to hear about your life with the marine, especially the kids.

‘’I wanna be a marine captain too when I grow up!’’ One kid had yelled excitedly.

‘’No way, I’ll get (y/n) to train me, and then I’LL become a marine captain!’’ Another yelled in protest.

‘’Huh!? Fight me, then we’ll see who’s most fit for the title!’’ And before you knew it, you were watching two kids brawl on the ground, as Osla and their parents struggled to tear them apart. When they had gotten the kids separated, and made you convince the kids to spend their energy on training instead of useless fighting, Osla and you could finally make it your way up the hills. Considering her age, Osla handled the walk up the steep hills rather well. But still, you offered her your arm just to be courteous. She accepted it happily.

‘’Oh, (y/n), you always were such a helpful child. We always knew you were going to become a model adult for the rest of us to look up to. Your parents had high hopes for you, and I’m glad that I can announce that you’ve met them with no problem… but it’s still a shame the job takes so much of your time. You didn’t even have time to come home and say goodbye to your parents one last time.’’ She finished mournfully, her eyes cast down.

It had been a while since your parents died. They were old, and everyone knew it was coming sooner or later, but when they fell sick, you were too busy chasing a notorious pirate making trouble on the seas, to come home and see them. While you were clashing swords with the criminal, your parents slipped away from this world, leaving you with no family. But at that point, you hadn’t seen them for several years already, and losing them changed nothing in your life. Coming to terms with your own indifference had been hard back then, but those feelings had long since faded.

‘’(Y/N)! OSLA!’’

Coming up behind you was one of the islanders, his long hair ruffled and his cheeks red, as he heaved for air. ‘’The-there’s a schichibukai on the island! He just landed in the middle of the town!’’

A schichibukai? What in the world was one doing here? Schichibukais may be allied with the Marine, but most of them didn’t care about the Government or the laws, so it could only mean trouble for your island. Osla and the man were left behind, as you took off running towards the town, hoping that the unknown pirate hadn’t caused too much trouble.

Before you had even reached the town, you could see the massive crowd that had gathered at the center, forming a circle around someone you couldn’t see. When you got closer, people turned to you, and their frightened faces shifted to show their relief.

‘’(Y/n) is here!’’

‘’(Y/n)! Get that pirate off our island!’’

‘’Get his ass!’’

‘’Kerlton, don’t say such things!’’

‘’Sorry mom.’’

The crowd parted for you, creating a path directly to the center of the circle. And sure enough, there stood a schichibukai. One you recognized rather well.

‘’Doflamingo.’’

Cue his trademarked chuckle resonating through the plaza.

‘’Yo, vice admiral. It’s been while, hasn’t it?’’ He spoke, with the usual suffocating grin on his face.

‘’Not long enough. I could have gone a few more months without seeing you.’’ You replied deadpan, as you made your way to the center, feeling all the villager’s eyes locked on you.

He chuckled once again, ‘’A few months, huh? Do you really have that much time?’’

Your faltered. But you couldn’t. Everyone’s eyes were on you, and there was no room for failure. Picking up the pace, you soon stood in front of the schichibukai, staring up into the red lenses of his sunglasses.

‘’What do you want, Donquixote?’’ You glared at him. Out of all the schichibukais, Doflamingo was definitely one you had to watch out for. In all your years under Tsusuru’s command, you had engaged in many crashes with Doflamingo’s crew, before he allied himself with the Marine, so you knew just how unpredictable he could be.

‘’All you people,’’ He rose up, looking out over the crowd that had gathered in the town square, forming a circle of curious bystanders, ‘’You can _scram._’’ He growled.

And they did within seconds. Just a few moments later, the town square was completely empty, except for you and the Schichibukai looming over you.

‘’Why are you here?’’ You asked again.

‘’Well,’’ He started off, taking his sweet time looking at you, before he continued, ‘’I heard a secret.’’ He stated, explaining nothing else.

Taking the bait, you asked, ‘’What secret?’’

‘’C’mon now, we both already know what I’m talking about.’’

You gulped, ‘’And what does that have to do with your sudden visit to my humble island?’’

His grin got bigger, if that was even possible, ‘’I thought, since you have so little time left, that for old times sake, I would give you the generous offer of letting you spend your last few months in Dressrosa.

‘’I’ve already resigned from the Marine. Holding me hostage will give you nothing. The Marine doesn’t care about me anymore.’’ You said, not for one second believing there to be anything ‘goodness’ in his offer.

‘’You know all this, and you still won’t trust me?’’ He held out his hand to you, ‘’If having you with me gives me no advantage whatsoever, then why would it hurt to go with me?’’

You hesitated, ‘’Why should I leave? This is my home, this is where I grew up. I see no more fitting place for me to spend my time.’’

‘’But are you honestly going to miss it?’’ His hand was still out, waiting patiently for you to accept.

You stared at his hand. This was a bad idea, you knew that.

But as you looked at your hand slowly moving towards his, you thought to yourself. You had approximately six months left of your life - maybe even less – so it’s not like any stupid decisions were going to matter much.

As your hand touched his, his hand quickly closed around yours, and before you knew it, you found yourself pulled up through the air, a strangled squeak coming from your throat, as you landed on his back. Your hand gripped onto the pink feathers of his coat, as your other grabbed ahold of his shoulder.

‘’Wai- Wait, wait, what are you doing!?’’ You yelled, as he bent his back to put his hand on the ground.

‘’What am I doing?’’ he laughed, and turned to look at you hanging onto his back, ‘’I’m taking you with me home.’’

With a powerful jump, he flew into the air, as you screamed and held onto his coat with all your might.

‘’Just as you agreed to.’’


End file.
